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Wednesday, August 21, 2013

CAN FIT PRO Conference 2013 Day 2

Saturday was a very long day! I arrived at the conference for a 9:30am Kangoo Jumps session. You may recall me talking about them a few months ago in this post. I have had them for years but not used them much. I ran outside with them a few times, but I don't often have the opportunity to run outside, and I also worry - given the dufus that I am - that I'll fall and kill myself on the pavement. I tried them on the treadmill and that was not an experience I enjoyed. So I wanted to check out this training session to see how they are being used for group fitness.

First off, I discovered that the newer models are much lighter (2.5 lbs each) and more comfortable than mine! The weight makes a big difference for a little person like me, but I suppose that just means they provide an even more challenging workout (trying to look for the silver lining here). I have to say, doing aerobics-type movement with them on IS INCREDIBLY FUN! I loved it. I was really surprised by how much I loved it. So much so, that I plan to buy a workout DVD online but first have to decide which one. Unfortunately, they weren't selling any DVDs at the conference. Honestly, if I had time to teach more classes, I would think about certifying to teach Kangoo Jump classes. Really fun, a great workout, and relatively simple choreography for a dance-phobic person like myself.

For the first time ever, I did a few yoga sessions at the conference. I was trying to be really cautious about not overdoing it and I haven't had much time for my yoga practice lately. I was also curious to learn more about YogaFit, which I have seen advertised all over the place. As it turns out, it is like a corporatized version of yoga, or as they state on their website,"Yoga for the fitness industry". One YogaFit class I attended (taught by Paul Golloro) was awesome: a moderate intensity flow class that stretched me out and recharged me for the rest of the day. The other one was called YogaLean, taught by YogaFit founder, Beth Shaw. I hate when people associate yoga with weight loss but I was curious to see what it was all about. It actually is a very gentle yoga class and the "Lean" part refers to the focus on lowering stress hormones, which can affect metabolism and storage of fat. True enough, but I still think the name is sort of false advertising and gives people the impression that doing some gentle yoga can help them lose weight (which it is not likely to do, particularly if you continue with other lifestyle factors contributing to weight gain/preventing weight loss).

I also attended a BOSU training session which introduced me to the BOSU Powerstax. They are basically little platforms that increase the height of the BOSU (like risers for STEPs), and can also be used on their own (they are weighted with water inside them).

Adam is rolling his eyes as he reads this because he's thinking, "Oh no, she's going to want one of those!" Yes. Probably. Some day. They were selling them at the Tradeshow for $85 but I didn't buy one.

I have to say, the conference left me feeling pretty proud of my fitness. During the Todd Durkin session, I was paired with a tall, skinny, gorgeous, 27-year-old stay-at-home mother of 3 who teaches classes in a small town. As 'old' as I felt compared to her, I kicked her ass in terms of strength and endurance. I also held my own with the BOSU work (I use it so much as home, that I've gotten pretty good at it!), the Kangoo Jumps and the yoga. Sometimes I worry that being my own trainer, I may be slacking more than I think, but I now feel more confident that I'm keeping myself on par.

Really, if there is anything I learn from this conference every year, it is that there is some type of fitness activity for EVERYONE regardless of age, body type, ability and interest. Being active is critical to long-term physical and mental health and well-being and it's never to late to start. As Nike says, "Just Do It!"